HACKENMILLER, Elizabeth Ann "Dolly" (Bawek) 1927-2020

HACKENMILLER, BAWEK, RETTERATH, MAHLMANN

Posted By: Volunteer73
Date: 11/7/2024 at 16:45:09

Obituary

Elizabeth Ann “Dolly” Bawek Hackenmiller, 93, passed away peacefully on September 2, 2020 in the Stacyville Community Nursing Home in Stacyville, Iowa.

Born to Ann Bawek on June 10, 1927 in Rose Creek, Minnesota, Dolly lived her entire life in Stacyville, Iowa. When asked why she was called Dolly, she said that as a baby everyone remarked that she looked like a doll, so the name stuck.

On February 28, 1946, she married Jerome Hackenmiller at the Visitation Catholic Church in Stacyville and they raised eight children. They met at a baseball game of course!

Dolly attended Visitation High School graduating in 1945. After high school Dolly worked for a short while at Hormel in Austin, Minnesota. She loved music and singing and was an active member of the church choir. There were many, many gatherings at the Hackenmiller home where Jerry brought out his guitar and harmonica and Dolly led the sing-alongs with her beautiful and memorable soprano voice.

Dolly was a stay-at-home mother and wife for many years, but later on volunteered to teach reading at the grade school. She also co-led one of the local 4-H Clubs. She worked for a time at The Maple Inn in Osage, Iowa saying that it gave her a little spending money, and that the salad bar was great! It was the perfect place for her because she could talk to anyone and made them feel welcome. Dolly was known as what we now call a ‘foodie’. She enjoyed eating and tasting all varieties of food, often taking a bite from your plate before asking. A hot cup of plain old black coffee was her beverage of choice.

One of the many unique things about Dolly is that she braided wool rugs for which she won some blue ribbons at the Mitchell County Fair. She made at least one for all of her children. She used to joke that having eight children gave her the patience to do all the work needed to prepare the wool for the braiding. Dolly was an enthusiastic participant of the yearly neighborhood block parties while still living on Albion Street, and looked forward to it every year.

Dolly and her mother, Ann, took trips together and she also enjoyed visiting her grown children wherever they lived. She said that was another benefit of having so many children. She was an avid reader and said she could also travel through her books. She kept a notebook where she listed all the books she’d read and their authors. She often remarked that the Stacyville librarians always knew just what to pick out for her.

Dolly loved putzing around in the dirt planting flowers and had a green thumb when it came to geraniums. After making her new home in the nursing home in June of 2014, one could find her tending to the potted plants inside and outside the building. Dolly attended as many family events and weddings as possible and would often surprise us by getting out on the dance floor. Dolly’s sense of humor and ability to laugh at herself contributed to her wealth of friends and acquaintances. Everyone seemed to enjoy a chat with Dolly, and one usually had to be willing to ‘stay a while’. She was one of a kind and will be missed.

She is survived by her sons Larry Hackenmiller (Maggie) of Fairbanks, Alaska, Tim Hackenmiller (Denise) of Waterloo, Iowa Kent Hackenmiller (Janis) of Grafton, Iowa, Kevin Hackenmiller (Lori) of Shakopee, Minnesota and daughters Sue Hackenmiller of Houston, Texas and Amy Kleinwort (Steve) of Madrid, Iowa.

Dolly has 20 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jerry Hackenmiller, daughters Judy Retterath and Linda Hackenmiller, grandson Jason Hackenmiller, and mother, Ann Bawek Mahlmann.

Funeral service will be at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at Visitation Catholic Church in Stacyville, Iowa under the direction of Schroeder & Sons Funeral Home. Visitation will be for an hour prior to the funeral starting at 10:00 a.m. Rev. Raymond A. Burkle will officiate. Interment will follow in the Visitation Cemetery in Stacyville.

The family would like to express their gratitude to Dr. Kelly Ross of St. Ansgar Clinic, and the Stacyville Community Nursing Home staff for the loving care given to Dolly.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in remembrance of Dolly can be sent to the Stacyville Community Nursing Home, 413 S. Broad Street, Stacyville, IA 50476.

SOURCE: Schroeder and Sites Funeral Home